Alonso drives home in style
Vettel gets demoted to fifth place after being penalised 20 seconds
Fernando Alonso led from pole position to chequered flag to win the German Grand Prix for Ferrari on Sunday and extend his lead at the top of the Formula One championship to 34 points.
Germany’s world champion Sebastian Vettel finished second for Red Bull, overtaking McLaren’s Jenson Button on the penultimate lap in a controversial move. After the stewards’ investigation, Vettel was demoted from second to fifth.
Stewards imposed a 20 second penalty to the Red Bull driver’s total race time, which promoted Button to second and Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen to third.
Vettel, who has yet to win his home Grand Prix and indeed any race in July, had gone wide and off the track to get past the Briton.
Alonso’s win was Ferrari’s 219th and the Spaniard’s third of the season. The Ferrari driver now has 154 points to 120 for Red Bull’s Australian Mark Webber, who finished eighth.
Button’s podium finish was a boost for him and McLaren after they struggled in recent outings but it was soured for the team by Lewis Hamilton suffering a puncture early in his 100th race and having to retire.
Alonso started on pole and held off challenges from Vettel and then Button as he stormed to victory in warm, sunny conditions, a stark contrast from the heavy rain which fell during practice and qualifying.
Alonso, who won on the last occasion a Grand Prix was staged at Hockenheim two years ago, briefly surrendered his lead after the first of his two pit stops but the double champion otherwise dominated the race.
Webber, winner of the previous race at Silverstone, had started eighth after a five place demotion on the starting grid for an unauthorised gearbox change.
Hulkenberg shines
Nico Hulkenberg frittered away a strong grid position to finish ninth at his home race while Paul di Resta finished 11th as Sahara Force India returned with just two points.
Most of the times the two Force India drivers struggled due to tyre degradation and pace of the car as faster cars overtook them at will, throughout the 67-lap race.
Hulkenberg dropped five places and Di Resta two after starting fourth and ninth respectively.
German GP results
Driver Team Time
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1::31:05.862
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull +00:03.732
3. Jenson Button McLaren +00:06.949
4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus +00:16.409
5. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber +00:21.925
6. Sergio Perez Sauber +00:27.896
7. Michael Schumacher Mercedes +00:28.970
8. Mark Webber Red Bull +00:46.941
9. Nico Hulkenberg Force India +00:48.162
10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes +00:48.889
